1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cleaning tool for the connecting end face of an optical connecting part, used for removing any soiling or attached matter present on the connecting end face of a frequently connected and disconnected optical connector or the like. The invention also relates to a method of cleaning the connecting end face of an optical connecting part.
2. Description of Related Art
Optical connectors incorporated in equipment used for optical transmission are frequently connected and disconnected. For this reason, dust or oils and the like may become attached to the end face of an optical connector when the connector is disconnected, causing a deterioration in the transmission properties of the connector. In order to prevent this problem, the connecting end face of an optical connector is cleaned when the optical connector is disconnected.
Cleaning tools for cleaning the connecting end face of an optical connector include cleaning tools for a male type connector having an exposed connecting end face of a ferrule and cleaning tools for a female type connector in which the connecting face to be cleaned is enclosed in an adapter as in an optical connector incorporated in a switchboard or the like. A variety of different types of cleaning tools have been proposed for these two types of optical connectors.
For example, there are cleaning tools for cleaning a male type connecting end face that operate by pressing the connecting face of a ferrule against the surface of a cleaning tape and moving the connecting end face relative to the cleaning tape to perform cleaning. The cleaning tool disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-200116 operates by bringing the connecting end face of a ferrule into contact with the surface of a running cleaning tape for cleaning.
Further, cleaning tools for cleaning the end face of a female type connector include tools such as the cleaning tool disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3,350,850. In that cleaning tool, a cleaning part comprises a housing having an engaging part that engages an optical connector. The cleaning tool is inserted in the optical connector and the connecting end face is cleaned by running a cleaning tape exposed from the end part of the cleaning part. Also disclosed is a cleaning tool in which cleaning tape is brought into contact with the connecting end face and then rotated to clean the connecting end face.
Cleaning tools that are used to clean a connecting end face by moving cleaning tape in relation to the connecting end face generally employ non-woven fabric or plain woven (flat woven) fabric having no directionality.